Training

Oyamada Mansumi entered the large conference room with a weary gait. Four of the chairs were occupied as he passed the long table. As he reached the end he adjusted his black framed glasses and placed a worn, leather bound book on the wood surface. He took a long breath and heavily exhaled while briefly closing his eyes.

"For record keeping purposes..." His voice trailed off as he opened the book, fiddling with the wrinkled pages and flattening them with one palm. "Thank you for coming."

"We didn't have a choice, did we?" Liam Diethel scratched his eyebrow with one finger and rested his other hand on the table.

"No." Silva made no eye contact with him although he sat directly across the table. Instead he rested his frown on the wall behind his chair.

Mansumi cleared his throat and sat in a large arm chair. "Yuan, Silva, Liam...this is Toru. Tamao's father."

The man politely nodded his head but didn't speak. Liam smiled at him, quickly glossing his gaze over his burgundy hair and dark eyes.

"Why is he here?" Yuan rose from his chair briefly but sat down again when Liam tapped the table with his finger.

"Toru, Yuan is Ren's father. Liam is Lyserg's father. And Silva is Shumei's biological father."

Toru frowned. "Um...biological father? Who is...Shumei?"

"Long story," Liam held up his hand. "For Shumei's protection he's unaware of it."

"He lives in that pathetically powerless village where the demon first appeared," Yuan said under his breath.

"I said long story so we wouldn't need to discuss it, Yuan."

"Mikihisa isn't here," Silva said. "Will he be delayed?"

The conference room door burst open again as the man in question stormed in. He slammed his fist against the table and stared down Mansumi with disgust.

"You'd really do this behind my back?"

Mansumi held out his hand, "Mikihisa, please sit. We haven't started."

"Toru told me you planned this gathering. You intentionally left me out!"

"If you had taken care of the problem years ago we wouldn't be here." Yuan shot him a vengeful glare and clenched his teeth. "Sit down if you plan to stay, Asakura."

Mikihisa sat in a chair near the door on the opposite end from the others. He mumbled under his breath and clasped his hands together.

"Silva, please begin." Mansumi watched Mikihisa as he spoke.

Silva stood from his chair. "The demon is awakening. All of you are aware of this by now."

Liam, Yuan and Mansumi nodded in agreement.

Toru rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "What does this mean?"

"It's the great gift the Asakuras have given the world. The legacy of destruction." Yuan clenched his teeth.

Mikihisa rolled his eyes. "There's still time."

"We've run out of good options, Mikihisa." Mansumi flipped a few pages of his book and sighed. "You know what will happen if the demon takes over Yoh's body."

"He'll destroy our world, and none of us can stop him." Liam closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"So...what do we do? What can we do?"

"They want to kill my son, Toru." Mikihisa folded his arms over the table and buried his face.

Yuan glared at him. "Sacrifices are necessary, Asakura."

He stood from his chair and slammed the table again. "I've sacrificed, Yuan! My family has sacrificed everything to keep peace. It's easy for you people! No one's talking about murdering Ren, Lyserg, Tamao...or Manta! How would you feel if we chose to kill your children because we were too afraid to find another way?"

"That's why we're here, Mikihisa," Liam said. "We need to find a solution."

"There is no separating the demon from the Asakura," Yuan said. "They are one entity. If we kill Yoh, the demon will awaken in Hao. We don't know if Hana is tethered to this curse."

"So now you're saying we should slaughter my entire family?"

"Calm down, Mikihisa. We're on your side." Mansumi offered him a smile he didn't return.

"No, clearly you're not."

"The longer we argue about this the more time the demon has to awaken." Yuan straightened in his chair. "This was your responsibility, Mikihisa, but you failed."

"That's not true." Silva waved his hand. "I was there the night the twins were born. There was nothing we could have done to counter that power. This is more complicated than you think."

"Is there a way to prevent the demon from awakening?" Toru scanned the room with a nervous gaze then slumped in his chair.

"Killing Yoh beforehand is the only way we know of." Liam sighed. "That's the issue."

"There's another way...in theory." Mansumi closed the book and took a deep breath. "It could spare Yoh's life."

Mikihisa sat in his chair and rested the side of his face on the table.

"Killing Hao could stop this progression. His ability to manipulate the subconscious allows the demon to roam freely. Without that telepathic link, the demon would be unable to take over Yoh's body."

"Could this be why the demon has been dormant?" Liam asked. "Yoh and Hao have been separated."

"But Mikihisa would still lose one of his sons," Toru added. "He'd lose Hao."

Mikihisa slowly blinked his eyes.

"How positive are you this would work, Oyamada?" Yuan asked.

"It's a theory. I have absolutely no idea if it would work."

"We could be killing Hao for nothing," Liam said with a bitter frown.

"There's a larger conundrum none of you have addressed." Silva sat in his chair and stiffened his posture. "Hao is a formidable opponent. His telepathic abilities are beyond what anyone thought was possible. His physical abilities have evolved even further. Only one person can prevail against him in a fight at this moment."

"Yoh wouldn't kill his brother." Liam rubbed his face with his hand. "Even if he mustered the will to do it Hao could easily invade his mind to stop him."

Toru sighed. "Back to square one."

"He can accomplish it," Mikihisa muttered. "Anna and Yoh have the combined power to do it."

"Even if she used the forbidden dark arts of her ancestors, Anna would still be outmatched by Hao and eventually overwhelmed," Silva said.

"She wouldn't need to overpower him," Mansumi raised his finger in the air. "Just buy enough time for Yoh to strike. It's ingenious, actually."

"You're willing to sacrifice your first born so easily to save your precious Yoh?" Yuan spat. "Hypocrisy at its finest."

A brief pause fell over them as Mikihisa slowly stood from his chair. He walked to the door but stopped before opening it. He took a deep breath before turning around to face them and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants. "For years we assumed the demon would awaken in Hao. No one saw this coming. I want to save them all. I don't know if that's possible..."

Liam nodded his head and rested his hands on the table. Yuan's frown softened. Toru and Silva exchanged looks of grave acknowledgment. Mansumi creaked a faint smile.

"What I do know is that our children are on their way to find Hao and Hana. We have to give them a chance to succeed. We need to trust they have the strength to do what's necessary. And...reinforce their efforts if it comes to it."

"And if they fail what then?" Yuan asked. "What are you prepared to do, Asakura?"

"It would be out of my hands." He turned for the door and rested his hand on the knob. "If the demon awakens and we lose Yoh...there would be only one path left, Silva. The path we've feared since the day he was born."

Silva tightened his jaw as his eyes narrowed. "Hana would have to kill Yoh."

Toru gasped as his jaw dropped. Liam balled his hands into fists. Yuan, who also appeared surprised by his answer, gawked at Silva for an explanation.

Mansumi rubbed the tattered leather of his book with his finger. "Both of you knew this from the beginning?"

"Yes." Mikihisa didn't turn around.

"Explain this," Yuan said angrily.

"Hana has the potential to surpass both Hao and Yoh." Mikihisa leaned his back against the door and rested his eyes on the table.

"How?" Toru leaned forward. "Why?"

"Hana has no telepathic ability," Silva added, "but he has unique intuition and heightened instincts. His power is ever changing, and as far as we know his growth is limitless."

"The boy can attack you with an amplified version of your own power," Mikihisa said, "even if he's never seen it."

"How...is that possible?" Liam asked.

"It wasn't possible before," Silva replied. "Yoh and Hao are anomalies within the Asakura bloodline. Unlike the rest of us, their powers adapt and evolve over time. I suppose these things happen when a cursed twin has a child of his own."

"This is only a fraction of his defense," Mikihisa added. "We have no idea what Hana's true power looks like."

"So..." Mansumi nervously adjusted his tie. "Hana may have the power to defeat the demon, even after it has awakened?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"You're saying we have to trust the fate of the entire world to an eight year old boy?" Yuan smacked his face with his hand.

"Hao will train him to use his power," Mikihisa replied. "He knows reuniting with Yoh could awaken the demon, but he's willing to take the risk. Hao forced this time table to speed up, but Hana will be ready. He has to be ready."

"There's no way anyone could convince Hana to attack his father," Toru said. "You're asking for the impossible."

"This is only a last resort," Silva said. "But it would be the last resort."


A gentle breeze fluttered through the boy's blond hair as he slowly blinked his eyes. The grassy clearing was quiet and dull. He ignored the strange observation and relaxed his shoulders. Several feet in front of him stood a tall man, vaguely familiar and slightly intimidating. He offered a warm smile, one the boy didn't return.

"Hana." Luchist stepped forward into the boy's line of sight. "The goal of this fight is to anticipate your opponent's attack. Defense is just as vital as offense. Chocolove will attack the way he would in battle. If you pass this obstacle we can accelerate the schedule."

"Okay."

He passively glanced around the clearing and noticed there were less spectators than he anticipated. Nichrom, Pirika, Marco, Matilda and Mei were present. His gaze rested on Mei's face longer than he realized. Her worried frown quickly faded, and she balled her hands into fists as her cheeks reddened.

"Stop, you idiot," she whispered.

"Let's begin." Luchist walked away to join the adult crowd.

Hana stared at Chocolove again and took a deep breath.

"I won't go easy on you, Kid," he said with a smirk.

"...Okay."

Chocolove suddenly disappeared in a flash of wind. Hana frowned and stepped forward but couldn't hide his confusion.

"Pay attention."

His voice came from behind. Hana tried to turn around but was struck with a hard blow to the back before he could fully react. He tumbled to the ground several feet away.

How'd he get behind me?

"Come on, Kid. I don't have all day. Get up."

Hana slowly rose to his feet again but was instantly knocked down a second time. The confusion quickly morphed into frustration as he rested on his knees.

"Focus, Hana." Mei pressed her palms together and took a deep breath. "You're stronger than him."

Pirika stared at the girl with a flash of fear. No one else heard the statement.

Hana stood up this time with a glare of irritation and anger. "You think I'm weak."

Nichrom rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "What's with this kid?"

"Nope. Just slow."

Chocolove's statement increased Hana's anger. His eyes narrowed as he stiffened his jaw.

"You think I won't kill you just because you're a kid?" The man laughed. "You'd better focus."

Hana saw the flash again, but this time the wind encircled around him like a tornado. He crossed his arms and held them up to shield his head, but his skin was sliced several times. The pain mercilessly shot through his body, but he stood still. He was unable to see Chocolove in the wind storm. It was pointless to keep looking.

He closed his eyes.

"I can't see anything!" Mei dropped her hands. "What is he doing?"

"He's striking from all sides," Pirika explained. "Chocolove's speed is unmatched."

"He'll die if he stays in the center of that attack," Nichrom said. There was evident disappointment in his voice.

Hana relaxed his face and opened his eyes again. He dropped his arms but then clutched his left hand into a tight fist. The storm immediately stopped, placing Chocolove directly in front of him. He stared at the boy with wide eyes, filling the spectators with confusion. Hana released his grip and disappeared in a flash of wind, a movement that sent chills down Pirika's spine. Chocolove stood flat footed and didn't move as Hana appeared again directly behind him. He stared at the trees in the distance with his mouth agape as his body was thrown. The force was severe enough to break several of his bones. Pirika, Matilda and Mei gasped loudly as Chocolove collided with the ground face down. Tense silence fell over the clearing, and after several terrifying moments the man didn't move.

Luchist took a step forward. "He...copied it?"

Hana walked toward Chocolove with a quick pace but stopped short of touching distance. "Get up."

Chocolove didn't answer.

"Get up." He clenched his teeth.

Matilda raised her hand and gulped. "He's unconscious, Hana."

"Let's...take a short break for now, Hana," Luchist said. "Good job."

Mei ran out to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn't resist her, much to her surprise, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He returned her embrace as his face flushed pink, and he tightly closed his eyes to push the embarrassing sensation away.

"We're in this together," she said. "Remember that, Hana."

"Did you...see that?" Matilda's hands shivered as she watched Luchist and Marco attend to Chocolove.

"Yeah," Nichrom replied with a blank stare.

Pirika's eyes filled with tears as she backed away a few steps.

"I don't understand...how that happened." Matilda stared at Nichrom and searched his face for an explanation.

"It's just like when he broke Fudou's binding attack." Nichrom scratched the top of his head loosely with his fingers. "He used my power to neutralize everyone else."

"He used...your power?" Pirika whimpered.

"He...mimicked it somehow." Nichrom relaxed his shoulders and stared at the boy. "I didn't defend myself or counter because I couldn't."

"What does this mean?" Matilda asked, her tone barely a whisper.

"The extra people are for our protection. That's what Luchist said." He bitterly closed his eyes.

"He can...take...our powers?" Pirika lowered her head as nausea rose from the pit of her stomach.

"Hao must have known about this," Nichrom said. "He wanted to test it and strengthen it, or the kid doesn't realize he can do it yet. Either way we're screwed."